Bok choy is one of my favorite greens to stir fry. Not only do I love the taste of bok choy, but it’s also a very nostalgic food for me. Growing up in Shanghai, my family would buy the freshest bok choy at the daily farmer’s markets. My mother made bok choy almost every other day, and I never got tired of it. Now when I see bok choy at the farmer’s markets in Westport and Black Rock I get as many heads as I can. People always ask me what I do with all that bok choy, so here is my simple recipe for healthy stir-fried bok choy, inspired by my mother’s recipe.

Healthy Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Serves four as a side dish.

I love bok choy plain and simple, but if you want to add a little spice you can add some Chinese Five Spice or Digestive Spice Blend with two tablespoons soy sauce in place of the salt.

Ingredients

• 2 heads of bok choy
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or refined coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cut the ends off of the bok choy heads, then individually wash the leaves, especially at the base of the stems.
2. Split the stem length-wise in two. Coarsely chop the stems and leafy parts into 2-inch pieces. Separate the darker green leafy parts from the stems.
3. Heat your frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for about 30 seconds, then add the oil.
4. Add the lighter colored stems pieces first. Use tongs or two wooden spoons to stir the stems quickly in the pan.
5. After about two minutes, add the green leafy parts of the bok choy to the frying pan, as well as the salt and honey. Again, stirring rapidly for another two minutes, or until the green leafy parts turn bright green and somewhat soft.  Serve with brown rice or quinoa and tofu.

By Wei Bertram

Photos by Sophie Slater